Aussie tourist spots make the list of most disappointing beaches in the world
Australia is world-famous for its stunning coastline, but in a surprising twist, two beloved Aussie beaches have found themselves in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons — landing in the top 20 most complained about beaches worldwide.
While Bondi Beach is the most well-known beach in Australia, being the most popular also comes with its fair share of pitfalls, including overcrowding, rubbish and high noise levels.
A new study has ranked the top 100 most complained about beaches in the world, with some of the biggest tourist destinations named as the most disappointing.
Bondi Beach was Australia's only entrant in the top 10, coming in at number 9 with a complaint score of 57.1 out of 100. Of the negative reviews, 75.9 per cent were due to overcrowding, while 13 per cent found it 'dirty'.
Manly Beach also made an appearance at number 20, with a score of 47.4. Again, the biggest issue for visitors was overcrowding.
The research, by Cloudwards, analysed thousands of reviews from TripAdvisor to find out which destinations were ultimately not living up to tourist expectations. The study focused on four main areas of criticism – cleanliness, overcrowding, long queues and noise disruption. The more negative reviews, the higher the overall complaint score.
Four American beaches featured in the top 10, taking 39 spots in total in the top 100.
Here are the top 10 most complained about beaches worldwide:
Waikiki Beach, USA: 100/100
Venice Beach, USA: 89.7/100
Playa Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica: 73.5
Clearwater Beach, USA: 65.5/100
Bournemouth Beach, UK: 65.1/100
La Jolla Cove, USA: 64.3/100
Elafonissi Beach, Greece:: 60.3/100
Magens Bay Beach, US Virgin Islands: 58.1/100
Bondi Beach, Australia: 57.1/100
Maho Beach, Sint Maarten: 57/100
Find the full list here.
Cloudwards CEO Mauricio Preuss said the study shows how important it is to look beyond the 'highlight reel' of a destination.
'The most rewarding beach experiences might be found at lesser-known destinations that haven't yet been overwhelmed by mass tourism. Sometimes the best paradise is the one that isn't trending on TikTok,' he said.
Earlier this year, Tourism Australia crowned a beach in Tasmania as the country's beach for 2025.
A pristine, 10km stretch of coastline in the Bay of Fires Conservation Reserve took out the top spot, which was the first time a Tasmanian beach had been awarded the honour.
It beat over 12,000 other entrants.
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